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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. squash — to crush
  4. craft — boats
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — in music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — a skill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. current — electric
  19. land — to come down
  20. current — of water
  21. land — a country
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com